Happy Thursday, my friends.  I just escorted a HUGE bug to the other side of the street, and it was disgusting.  Though my 6-year-old niece and 3-year old nephew seem to think it’s “cooooooool” which I get, but my niece in particular kept calling it “pretty.”  Pretty?  It was an inch and a half (for serious) and it had two sets of mouth talons, because I guess it needs a backup set of mouth talons if the first set of mouth talons somehow fail him in his taloning pursuits.  (Makes me seriously wonder what I must look like to her, since she likes to call me pretty, too.)  Anyway, I needed some color lovin’ to try and forget about this morning’s experience.  This did the trick:

{Photo Board: Elizabeth Messina}

{Chewing the Cud / Xandra Zamora / Monkeys Always Look / Twigs & Honey / Icing Designs / Modern Press}

Thoughts?  Is this inspiring or is this inspiring?  Elizabeth Messina makes my heart pump more blood throughout my body, and at a faster pace, which simulates the feeling of being in love with her.  I’m feeling very confused, but I kinda like it.

xoxo!  - Alison

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♥

Happy Wednesday, my loves.  Let me share with you my morning…

[Read more →]

Hmm.  My titles are getting too long.

Ok, so, as many of you know, I recently purchased a hella expensive, hella worth it MacBook Pro.  Yup, all 17″ of it – worth it.  Except for one thing.  The battery life has been for shiznit.  They claim 8-10 hours, and I realize that can often refer to the time something lasts when it’s idling/not in use. BUT, here’s the thing: if you’re throwing thousands of dollars of hard-earned moula at a 17″ MacBook Pro, aren’t you doing so for the express reason of doing more than using a single tab in your browser to sign into your aol account and forward your nieces and nephews hilarious and adorable kitten photos?  Do I surf one web page at a time, within one tab in my browser?  Hardly.  But THAT’s why I bought the Pro.  Anyway, whatevs the battery sucks and I brought it in for an exchange.

And guess what?  They gave me a new one.  But before I continue, a quick aside: some of you saw my tweets about that Apple Store employee who SCREAMED AT A BABY for… get this… SCREAMING in the store.  That isn’t Alanis Morissette irony, that’s actual, real-life irony.  And it would be hysterical in its irony if it didn’t involve a screaming baby and it weren’t so dang horrid.  But don’t worry – he was so loud that everyone in the store turned and stared at him.  He was very embarrassed, and I’m confident he learned a life-long lesson.  Or was fired.

… Anyway, as I was saying, they gave me a brand new Pro to replace the one with the faulty battery.  HOORAY!  But… and I’m going to sound like a spoiled little baby right now (quite likely the screaming kind), but I have to mention this because it is slowly driving me insane…

My new Pro has quite possibly the LOUDEST CLICK BOARD in laptop history.  Here: imagine the loudest click sound you could possibly make.  THAT’S IT.  I don’t think I can take this thing to the library (hah, like I’m going).  I think I woke up my sweetie four times last night (I, uhh, stay up late a lot working).  I think if I bring this hyena to Starbucks, I will single-handedly cause much internal unrest among patrons, but nothing will actually come of it (because Starbucks patrons aren’t the confrontational type).

Moving on…

* * *

Ok, I adored putting together Amber and Sean’s wedding feature.  Rustic venues and DIY brides, each on their own, make me happy.  But together?  Chills.  I’m not lying.  And it doesn’t hurt when you add the fact that the groom DIY’d a whole bunch of things with his manly man hands for the couple’s big day.  Sweet?  Check.  Seriously creative?  Check.  Sexy?  Oooohhhh yeeeeaaaahhh.

And, while this is my faaaavorite inspiration board of them all…

I have to share with you some very small but great details I gushed over, especially because you guys have come to me with questions about them!

First, you see those alphabet (monogrammed) cups up at the tippity-tip top of this post?  When you guys wrote me asking if I knew where to find them, I immediately remembered that I’d seen them in Anthro a couple of weeks back.  So glad I remembered that, because they rock and are totes wedding-worthy!  Check ‘em out:

Love ‘em all lined up so cutely:

Are you likin’ them too?  You can nab your own right here!  Stick some flowers in them and set them on tables for the absolute cutest centerpieces ever!  You can go with your initials like Amber and Sean did, or you can ID your tables with letters instead of the ho-hum table number approach, using your favorite letters from the alphabet!  Sorry!  I’m talking to you like you’re five!  And you aren’t!

Right.  Ok then… are you looking for something a bit more fancy-shmancy?  Here you go:

Gorgeous.  I’m lovin’ all over these flourish-tastic alphabet mugs.  You can grab them here.

* * *

Next up, paper straws!  Here they are being put to use at Amber and Sean’s DIY-rrific wedding:

Love ‘em?  Then check this: my post on my sweet, sweet love affair with striped paper straws.

* * *

Now, for a couple more details I know you guys loved… starting with the shoes:

The bride let us know that her shoes are from Nordstrom.  They’re the BP. Platinum ‘Jade’ Sandal and they also come in black and silver satin.  GORG.

And that dress of hers?  It’s by Demetrios, though Amber informed us that “it’s not online, but it is available at the store in San Diego.”  So, I guess, book a flight if you ADORE that gown!

Rustic Wedding Credits:

Guest post on Style Me Pretty / Venue: Spanish Oaks Ranch in Santa Margarita, CA / Flowers: April Flowers / Photographer: Ken Kienow / Video: Jack Hutchinson / Catering: Pacific Harvest Catering / Cake + Cupcakes: Cassie’s Custom Cakes in Atascadero, CA / Stationery: Jessica Lehry Bishop – JessLehry Designs

Ok, so what do you guys think?  Would you use those monogrammed mugs as part of your wedding decor?  Or maybe throw in some soda pop and striped paper straws for your guestipoos?  (Guestipoos?)

xoxo!  – Alison

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♥

So, I’m sure you’ve heard the news, right?  Brian put a ring on it!  On June 24 in Hawaii, 24-year-old Megan Fox married 36-year-old Brian Austin Green, the slender, sorta cute-ish boy, aka my third choice (it went Brandon, Dylan, then David, my distant third – did you even remember his name was David?  I had to look it up) from everyone’s favorite ’90s teen drama, Beverly Hills 90210.  They were wed by a Hawaiian priest, and Brian’s son, Kassius (… ok), served as their only witness.  Yeah yeah yeah… but have you seen her dress?  Because it was totally NOT what I expected Megan Fox to wear on Megan Fox’s wedding day.  Totally.  Not.  What I expected.

First of all, it was white.  OMG that was horrible I didn’t mean it.  I really like Megan Fox, honest.  Ok, getting serious now, here’s what I expected: tight-fitting, glitzy, snug, low-cut, curve-hugging, and sleek.  I guessed completely wrong, except for that last detail.  It was definitely sleek.  But tight-fitting, snug and curve-hugging (which all mean the same thing because I was trying to drive home a point)?  Not really.  And the glitz and glam factor?  Not even close.  Here’s Armani’s artistic rendering of what she wore: [Read more →]

Hey everyone!  Happy Friday!  Hope you’re having a pleasant day so far!  K, story time:

The boy and I had one of those wavelength moments this past Monday.  You know those moments when both of you are idling in the same room or car, listening to music or watching a show, and you look at one another, and you KNOW you’re thinking the same thing?  Well, it happened on the way to the mall, in the car, this past weekend… while listening to Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club Des Belugas.  SYTYCD fans, I know you’re with me on this.  But if you’ve never watched the show, let me break it down for you.  No, even better, check this out (fast forward to 1 minute to see just the dance) or this – it’s crisper.  Then you’ll understand.  Anyway – the mutual thought?  TO BECOME COMPETITIVE DANCERS.

Hey.  Stop laughing.

Aright, on to the Finds!  … Wait wait wait wait wait.  I have to mention one quick thing.  I {heart} you guys.  Ok done.

Now, on to my obsessions: [Read more →]

Today’s wedding comes to us from Amy Kolcz Photography, and it’s kinda like the most perfect thing ever…

First, it takes place in and around a barn.  Second, the couple made all this loveliness happen on a small budget and with a little help from their friends.  Third, it’s got these darling little touches of purple, which means my six-year-old niece who’s coming to visit today is going to FREAK. OUT.  She loves purple.  Loves it.  Purple purple purple.  That, and beautiful princesses.  Ooh, and wouldn’t you know?  This wedding’s got both… [Read more →]